I agree with you Aaron. I think it's about time people stop and help these poor people. Whenever I see some poor homeless person in their sleeping bag when I'm catching a train in the morning for work, I try to leave a few quid for them. And yeah some of them do collect money to fund their drug addiction. One homeless man told me he got on drugs because of his circumstances after he got evicted from his Home. He showed me a pic of his wife and kids what once was a family. I really felt for this man. Whenever I can, if I'm going to a shop I always try to buy some snacks/food for anyone I see begging. That's the least we can do for them.

Agree with Aaron but to be honest I find it very very hard to empathises with 90% of them who are there as a direct result of their own choosing. In fact more than likely I would be more inclined to look favourably upon an illegal immigrant asylum seeker than I would a European begging claiming handouts and welfare etc.

Being in Geneva surrounded by "professional" beggars really opened my eyes to the scam and its not always what it seems.

It is a tough one yeswe over generalise all the time! Some of them are just professional beggars and by all accounts if you got the right places you can make a good whackThere are clearly some people out there that are very deserving of the help/generosity shown by others and some not so much, how to tell who deserves that is also nearly impossible.

For the reasons above I do tend to steer clear of giving money to homeless people but will happily give food! For example the other week i was going into London and I made some meals that I took with meal and gave to some homeless people I saw! Very basic just cooked 400g of chicken, 500g of pasta and jar of pasta sauce cost! Split it into 5meals! I buy chicken in bulk so the 400g chicken cost like £2 the pasta was about 30p for the bad the sauce was about 40p! So for less than £3 I gave 5 people a decent sized meal! That I believe was more effective than giving them say £1 cos they could have brought and made what I give for that money!

BookermanI find it hard to believe that in this country if you really didn't want to be homeless that you would be.

That's a bit unfair tbh mate. There are people out there who have got in situations like loosing their job or the main breadwinner of the family has died without adequate insurances in place. Sometimes it's hard to forecast such things. thus leading to falling back in payments of mortgage and house getting repossessed.

Yeah people love almost freezing to death every night outside in damp dirty environments. They absolutely love it!

Bookerman have you ever spoken to a homeless person and asked them how they go there and why they are still homeless? Give it a go.

Drugs will of caused some of them to become homeless, whilst others will of started using once they became homeless. If you're at the lowest of the low it's easy to see why you would turn to drink or drugs to 'help'.

'Professional beggars' suggests that they are not homeless at all, but sit on the street prerending to be to earn a basic income. Genuine homeless people beg so they can eat / survive / support a habit.

If they were offered a place to live, food and a basic job, maybe just one day a week to start, the vast majority would take it.

mixed feeling here i see ,well i personally know some one that is so called homeless and and dose not give two ****s about anyone bit there self and as for it being someone else reason for the way they live is no ones but there self they had a good family behind them and **** on them ,they had a good family home with three kids she **** on them she **** on the childrens father and girl friend ,got in to borrowing money left right and center up to her eye balls in paying money back ,and lost her children to the childrens father for good and now the children do not wish to see her for what she done to others and them so in a nut shell yer help the ones that need it but not to the ones that dont need it i would say like the person in this ( SHE IS MY EX FFS)

all my life i have been sucking you right tit coz the lift one is missing oh boy

I'm currently in San Francisco and have never seen so many homeless people in one place!! Some hang out in groups and seem happy enough. Some sit there begging with usual notices ....one sign we saw yesterday said "Why lie? Its for beer!" One lady was arguing with a workman because he had moved her cardboard box. One guy yesterday we spotted just lying in the middle of the pavement.....across it not even lengthways) The buskers have the best equipped I have ever seen, full music systems for back up tracks, instruments, sound systems for microphones etc!!

jack5rYeah people love almost freezing to death every night outside in damp dirty environments. They absolutely love it!

Bookerman have you ever spoken to a homeless person and asked them how they go there and why they are still homeless? Give it a go.

Drugs will of caused some of them to become homeless, whilst others will of started using once they became homeless. If you're at the lowest of the low it's easy to see why you would turn to drink or drugs to 'help'.

'Professional beggars' suggests that they are not homeless at all, but sit on the street prerending to be to earn a basic income. Genuine homeless people beg so they can eat / survive / support a habit.

If they were offered a place to live, food and a basic job, maybe just one day a week to start, the vast majority would take it.

I meant people who have done what they can and sorted themselves out then need a house. I wouldn't expect smack heads to get a house and I doubt anyone wants them moving in next to them either.

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell